Search Results (197)

Teacher attrition, particularly in early career stages, undermines sustainable education. Developing teachers’ sense of agency and well-being is therefore critical, especially for second-career teachers who bring valuable prior knowledge and professional experience. This study explored how narrative pedagogy combined with agency-focused instruction supports second-career students’ professional development. Using qualitative methodology, we analyzed reflective compositions written by 12 special education students in a year-long course. Three main themes emerged: First, narrative approaches enabled students to develop their personal and professional identities. Second, participants experienced the approach as creating relational safety, a psychologically secure environment supporting authentic sharing and collaborative learning. Third, participants envisioned implementing agency processes with their future students while acknowledging systemic challenges. These insights underscore the potential contribution of incorporating narrative and agency-based approaches into teacher education. Such approaches may strengthen resilience and well-being as students transition into practice, thereby supporting reduced attrition and advancement of sustainable education goals. Full article

This study seeks to examine the attractiveness of higher education institutions as community spaces for students and the significance of the services they provide. It aims to explore students’ perspectives on planning their long-term futures, particularly in assessing whether the university environment serves as a stronger influence than their place of origin or family background. The role of the university is particularly significant if it is located outside the student’s town of origin, so the student’s decision to attend a particular institution is not necessarily based on the specific undergraduate program or the prestige of the university. The study combines a review of the national and international literature with an empirical investigation, utilizing a questionnaire survey to analyze students’ decision-making processes. Many students perceived the university as a transitional “island”, offering a temporary space to inhabit before embarking on their future careers. The degree obtained serves as a “passport” to professional opportunities, while the university experience provides a unique community environment and represents a significant step toward independence and separation from familial influence. These findings hold particular relevance for universities, which are continually redefining their roles in response to changing student expectations. Many students view the university not merely as a site of learning but as a precursor to adulthood and a foundational space for personal growth. This study addresses a gap in the existing literature by focusing on the appeal of universities as local hubs and comparing their influence to the retaining power of family ties, offering insights for student development. Full article

This paper examines the development process that frames the professionalization of social work in Jordan between 2019 and 2023, situated within the European Union-funded Support to Social Protection Programme: Helping Deliver Social Inclusion. Working in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD), the initiative sought to strengthen the professional infrastructure through legislative development, specialist training, and the establishment of accredited university-level curricula to support a coherent, national career pathway for social workers. This paper critically analyses the transition from semi-professional to full professional status, with particular attention to the model used to facilitate ownership by four Jordanian universities and harness and strengthen the practice of social work. It further examines the academic framework underpinning the development of a national Common Core Curriculum for Social Work, drawing on established curriculum theories to guide the negotiated application of global approaches within the Jordanian context, with sensitivity to indigenous knowledge and cultural awareness. Reflections on the strengths and limitations of the development process are informed by stakeholder feedback, current outcomes, and anticipated future developments, with an emphasis on the value of interagency collaboration and networking approaches. Full article

Individual ambidexterity is the capacity of an individual to engage in both exploration of new knowledge, roles, and opportunities and exploitation of existing skills, experience, and routines in ways that support adaptation and sustained work contribution over time. Amidst the challenges of ageing demographics, digital transformation, and longer working lives, maintaining careers over the long term is becoming increasingly important to people and businesses alike. Individual ambidexterity, as the capacity to combine exploration of new knowledge and opportunities and the use of existing skills and experiences, provides a meaningful framework for thinking about adaptive behavior across career stages. In this article, we integrate insights from the literature on individual ambidexterity with career sustainability, particularly for senior professionals and late-career trajectories. Drawing on research from organizational behavior, leadership, career development, and sustainable careers, the article synthesizes key theoretical foundations, identifies relevant contextual enablers, and highlights emerging research trends. It further examines how leadership, job design, and knowledge management practices shape ambidextrous behavior across extended careers. The framework advanced here is integrative and heuristic rather than predictive. This contribution clarifies how individual ambidexterity may provide the micro-level capability for sustainable careers in ageing and dynamic labor markets by synthesizing fragmented literatures. Full article

Achieving high-quality employment for retired athletes is essential for promoting the holistic development of athletes and accelerating the construction of a strong sports nation. From the perspective of capital collaboration, this study develops a comprehensive analysis framework by incorporating human capital, social capital, and psychological capital to systematically investigate the influencing factors and configuration pathways for high-quality employment of retired athletes. Utilizing Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), this study discovers three main findings. First, no single condition variable independently constitutes the necessary condition for high-quality employment. Second, three configuration pathways for achieving high-quality employment are identified, including human capital–social capital synergy, human capital–psychological capital synergy, and human capital–social capital–psychological capital integration. Third, vocational skill, as a component of human capital, emerges as an important condition in configurations associated with high-quality employment. Based on the findings, this research recommends improving the athlete security policy system, promoting the accumulation of human capital, strengthening the development of psychological capital, constructing diverse social support networks, and optimizing the pathways for retired athletes to achieve high-quality employment. These aims will support retired athletes in navigating career transitions effectively while securing stable and high-quality employment. Full article

This study investigates the relationship between general and problematic social media use, and young adults’ future time perspectives during their school-to-work-transition. It also explores how parents perceive the influence of their children’s media use on career perspectives. Utilizing longitudinal data from a quantitative study, 443 parent–youth dyads at t1 and 355 at t2 were surveyed on their practices concerning daily social media use, problematic social media engagement, transition and moratorium orientations, and parental assessments. Open-ended responses from parents indicated that the majority perceived either a positive effect or no influence of media use on career opportunities, while a smaller proportion reported negative impacts. Adolescents whose parents expressed positive views demonstrated significantly stronger transition orientations. Cross-sectional analyses demonstrated that problematic social media use was negatively associated with transition orientation and positively related to moratorium orientation. General usage time, however, showed no meaningful associations. Longitudinal regression analyses indicated that neither general nor problematic social media use predicted subsequent levels of transition or moratorium orientation after controlling for baseline orientations, pointing to substantial stability in these dispositions. The findings suggest that problematic social media engagement coincides with less future-oriented mindsets, while future orientations remain stable over time. Full article

The future of innovation and economic growth depends on our ability to nurture the next generation of scientists. The global shortage of qualified STEM (Science, Technology, engineering, Mathematics) teachers has led many countries to expedite the transition of subject-matter experts from industry and academia into teaching roles. These second-career science student teachers typically participate in accelerated training programs designed to address urgent shortages. This study addresses a gap in the literature regarding effective pedagogical interventions for career-changing professionals in STEM fields, focusing on the experience and transformation of second-career science student teachers. This qualitative case study explores how a Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) course fosters the development of pedagogical competences via developing an instructional unit collaboratively, among five second-career science student teachers enrolled in an accelerated teacher education program. Drawing on data collected through instructors’ field notes, iterative work-in-progress lesson drafts, and reflective final papers, the study employs qualitative content analysis to trace changes in participants’ instructional approaches and professional identity. Findings reveal that engagement with the CBL framework promoted a significant shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered instruction, as participants increasingly integrated collaborative learning, inquiry-based activities, and reflective practices into their lesson planning and classroom teaching. The iterative nature of CBL, which emphasizes real-world problem-solving and structured opportunities for reflection and peer feedback, was instrumental in supporting participants’ adaptive expertise and confidence as novice teachers. Moreover, the course experience contributed to the emergence of a professional teaching identity, with participants reporting greater self-efficacy, a stronger sense of belonging to the teaching community, and increased motivation to persist in the profession. The results underscore the potential of integrating CBL and learning sciences principles into accelerated teacher preparation programs to enhance both cognitive and affective dimensions of teacher development. Full article

While scholars have written about programs that support community college (CC) students in STEMM and their transition to four-year institutions, less attention has been paid to culturally informed approaches addressing cultural mismatch and leveraging community cultural wealth (CCW). This paper presents results from qualitative research conducted through five focus groups with 43 CC students who attended a summer program over three summers. Grounded in strategies that address cultural mismatch by drawing on CCW and ancestral strengths to foster STEMM success, the summer program provides CC students with professional tools and skills for their educational trajectories and supports them as they pursue a STEMM pathway. The findings revealed that learning about multiple pathways through faculty members’ academic journeys, bonding with peers, and gaining the language to describe home–school mismatch experiences allowed students to reduce intimidation and self-blame, increase self-efficacy, develop a stronger science identity invested in social justice, and demonstrate greater willingness to engage with institutional actors. In sum, humanizing STEMM not only portrays a holistic picture of the field but also demystifies the notion of STEMM as a “cold” career, enabling students to more readily see themselves in role models and envision themselves on a viable career path. Full article

The importance of financial literacy for professional athletes is undeniable. This study aimed to build on previous research by identifying the financial literacy content areas that require the highest level of competence for professional athletes competing in team sports. To address this, 12 structured one-on-one interviews were conducted with a purposively selected sample of participants drawn from a network of potential actors capable of influencing the financial decisions of professional athletes, as informed by Actor-Network Theory. The research findings show that skills to avoid unethical behaviour, the acumen to navigate the transition to a post-sports career, savings and financial control are the content areas that require a higher level of competence. This study innovatively visualizes research findings through a heatmap to identify and prioritize focus areas. This study offers insights that may assist professional athletes to reduce their exposure to financial risks. The study may also engage sport’s governing bodies, professional clubs, players’ associations, researchers, and financial advisors aiming to deepen their knowledge of the financial literacy competencies required by professional athletes. Full article

The transition from lower to upper secondary education is a critical developmental stage, requiring decisions with long-term academic and professional consequences. Addressing a gap in evidence that often treats counselling, family educational capital, and place of residence separately, this study examines how these factors jointly relate to students’ high school track/profile choice and their intention to pursue higher education in the Romanian educational transition. Using a standardized questionnaire, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1392 lower secondary students (aged 13–14) from Brașov County, Romania, to map preferred tracks, influencing factors, perceptions of high school, and the values framing decision-making. High school track/profile choice emerged as a central “decision node”, strongly associated with participation in counselling p < 0.001; Cramer’s V = 0.678) and significantly related to parents’ educational level and university intentions. Substantial urban–rural differences were observed in track/profile choice (p < 0.001; V = 0.442), with urban students selecting the “real” track more frequently (≈68%) than rural students (≈37%). University intention was high overall, with a small but significant urban–rural difference (≈89.7% vs. ≈86.9%; p = 0.028; V = 0.072). Findings support integrating counselling into coherent adolescent career development models and expanding services to reduce contextual disparities through stronger school–family–community partnerships. This evidence is relevant for education policy and practice by supporting the scaling of school-based career guidance and targeted measures to reduce rural–urban disparities. Full article

Background/Objectives: Job satisfaction and work-related quality of life (WRQoL) are essential determinants of nurses’ well-being, performance, and retention. Differences between school and clinical nursing environments may influence these outcomes, yet comparative evidence from Greece remains limited. This study aimed to assess and compare job satisfaction and WRQoL among school and clinical nurses and identify factors associated with professional well-being and turnover intention. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2024 and January 2025 among 165 nurses employed in Greek public hospitals and schools. Data were collected using demographic questions, the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), and the Work-Related Quality of Life (WRQoL) scale. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, independent group comparisons, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression. Results: Moderate levels of job satisfaction (M = 125.10) and WRQoL (M = 75.27) were observed overall. School nurses reported significantly higher scores in both job satisfaction and WRQoL compared to clinical nurses (p < 0.001). Clinical nurses expressed a greater intention to transition to school nursing. Lowest satisfaction levels were related to salary, promotion, and fringe benefits, while supervision, coworkers, and nature of work scored highest. Strong positive correlations were found between job satisfaction and WRQoL dimensions. Regression analysis indicated that general well-being, job and career satisfaction, and working conditions significantly predicted job satisfaction, explaining 54.7% of its variance. Conclusions: Professional well-being among nurses is primarily shaped by workplace conditions rather than demographic factors. Interventions focused on improving compensation, career progression, and work environments are critical for enhancing job satisfaction and sustaining the nursing workforce. Full article

Paid full-time summer undergraduate research programs (SURPs) increase persistence in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degrees and later careers. Research disruptions during the summer of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic required a transition to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) and created the opportunity to explore whether online-only SURPs were feasible. Data science projects emerged as a particularly feasible option for both mentors and students. A total of 65 students working with 49 mentors employed at five different research sites matriculated into a 10-week full-time paid SURP in 2020, with most projects focused on data science. Program implementation and impact were explored using online student surveys before (n = 62) and after (n = 56) participation, interviews with students conducted after the program ended (n = 10), online surveys of mentors conducted after the program ended (n = 35), and data on persistence in relevant fields. Scholars reported satisfaction with the program and described how the program developed their scientific skills and interest in data science. Mentors surveyed reported that they would be willing to invite another undergraduate student to perform research under their direction using a distance model. About half of the mentors reported that mentoring students online took about the same amount of time as mentoring in-person. Students who completed the program in-person in 2019 and those who participated in the remote program in 2020 had similar early career trajectories, with approximately 60% of both cohorts remaining in related fields five to six years later. Our experience suggests that an online SURP can be feasibly implemented across multiple sites, with positive impacts on student interest in data science. Full article

Engineering education is increasingly shaped by two converging developments: accelerating sustainability transitions and rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI). However, in many application-oriented undergraduate programs, sustainability learning remains fragmented, methodologically limited, and weakly connected to authentic engineering decision-making. To address this gap, this study proposes AI-SEE (Artificial Intelligence-Integrated Sustainable Engineering Education), a pedagogical framework that integrates AI across the curriculum as both a cognitive scaffold and a resource for system-level analysis. Emphasizing human–AI collaboration, AI-SEE is designed to be feasible and scalable within application-oriented higher education contexts. The framework comprises four interrelated pillars: intelligence-driven, green-empowered, responsibility-leading, and practice-integrated. Drawing on an empirical case from transportation-related programs at Nantong University, the study employs a qualitative comparative design and conducts semi-structured interviews with 144 undergraduates at the end of their eighth semester (control group n = 70; pilot group n = 74). Interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis informed by constructivist grounded theory and the Gioia coding approach. The findings suggest that participation in AI-SEE is associated with differentiated patterns of sustainability consciousness. At the knowledge level, students reported more systematic and interdisciplinary understandings that extended beyond environmentally reductionist perspectives to include life-cycle thinking, social equity, and long-term considerations. At the attitudinal level, students described enhanced ethical reflexivity and evolving professional self-concepts, shifting from a focus on technical execution toward broader value-oriented roles. At the behavioral level, students reported more extensive knowledge-to-action translation across personal, academic, and career-related domains. Overall, AI-SEE provides a transferable pedagogical pathway for integrating AI into engineering education to support the development of sustainability consciousness in higher education. Full article

Background/Objectives: Franz Tappeiner (1816–1902) is often celebrated as a pioneer of alpine medicine and the founder of Tappeiner Promenade in Meran (South Tyrol, Italy). However, his legacy extends far beyond the scenic infrastructure, encompassing a comprehensive vision of physical activity as a public health intervention. His multidisciplinary practice anticipated the principles of contemporary rehabilitation, preventive medicine, and climate-sensitive public health. Methods: This historical public health analysis, combining biographical, contextual, and material–spatial approaches, reinterprets Tappeiner’s writings, institutional engagements, and civic projects through the lens of modern public health frameworks. Drawing on primary materials (e.g., published articles, autobiographical fragments, and commemorative texts) and recent evidence from rehabilitation and environmental health research, these contributions were contextualized. Results: Tappeiner’s early focus on infectious disease prevention (e.g., cholera and tuberculosis) transitioned into a strategic emphasis on recovery and behavioral therapy through environmental design. The walking therapy model of Max Joseph Oertel, locally realized in the Tappeiner Promenade, prefigured modern concepts such as structured green rehabilitation, walkability, and urban-health citizenship. His systematic integration of graded walking into civic infrastructure represents one of the earliest documented examples of embedding physical activity promotion at the population level. He contributed substantial personal funds to the path’s construction, embedding therapeutic gradients, curating vegetation, and promoting inclusive design to support convalescence. Contemporary research supports the intuition that green, low- to moderate-intensity walking improves cardiometabolic health, psychological well-being, and functional capacity. Moreover, his integrative ethos, merging clinical medicine, civic ethics, and spatial intervention, parallels contemporary eco-social models of public health. Conclusions: Franz Tappeiner’s career exemplifies a still-relevant model of physician leadership that is empirically grounded, socially accountable, and ecologically attuned, with physical activity promotion embedded as a central element of his public health vision. His work invites reflection on how medical professionals can shape not only individual care but also urban environments and collective health futures. Full article

Gen Z is an emerging talent entering the world of work with distinct characteristics, expectations, preferences, and aspirations compared to previous generations. Therefore, there is growing interest in understanding Gen Z’s entry-level experiences, particularly the psychosocial experiences of this unique generation as they transition into the world of work. Hence, the purpose of this study was to explore the psychosocial experiences of entry-level Gen Z newcomers in South African organisations. This study used a qualitative research approach, drawing on a social constructivist perspective. In-depth interviews were conducted to collect data on the lived experiences of nine Gen Z employees who had recently entered the workforce. A conventional content analysis approach was used to analyse the qualitative data. Salient psychosocial factors influencing the psychosocial experiences and professional adjustment and transition of Gen Z newcomers into the world of work were identified. This study indicated that organisations should focus on onboarding processes, supportive line managers, reasonable workloads, promoting work–life balance, providing meaningful work, supporting career management and development, creating diverse and inclusive work environments, promoting employee well-being, and providing technologically advanced and modern job tools to enhance positive psychosocial experiences of Gen Z newcomers in the workforce. This study sheds light on the psychosocial factors that promote positive psychosocial experiences among Gen Z newcomers, offering unique insights into the growing literature on the Gen Z generation. Full article